This invention relates to the field of use of connectors. More particularly, the present invention relates to a circular connector system for electronic devices.
Currently, devices such as computer systems and peripherals, consumer electronic devices, and other electronic devices are connected to each other through the use of cables. In some cases, multiple cables are used to connect these devices, which can tangle and disconnect. Often, when devices are stacked on top of each other, long cables are extraneous and cause more clutter than is necessary.
An exemplary system that exists for eliminating or reducing the use of cables uses a rack-type of structure with pre-existing slots, shelves or grooves to hold a fixed number of devices, and a set of connectors on a backplane used to connect to each device as they are inserted. Each device has one or more connectors on a back plate of the device that connect to a corresponding number of connectors in the set of connectors on the backplane of the rack. The rack contains one input/output connector on the back of the rack that is connected to all the connectors on the backplane. One drawback to the rack system is that when the number of devices to be interconnected exceeds the number of slots in the rack, the system is expandable only by adding another rack or modifying the existing rack. Also, as the connection between the device and the rack is often hidden from the user""s view as it is being made, misaligned connections are not readily apparent. Connections can also be faulty where devices are not fully inserted, leaving connectors between the devices and the rack only partially mated.
Thus, a connector system that solves one or more of the above problems is desirable.